Photographic camera



PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA Fuera March 7, 1933 2 sheets-sheet 1 0h60' INVENTOR- ATrRN'EY v q Feb- 4, 1936- o. w. GrrHENs A PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA' Filed Maron 7, 193s 2 sheetsfsheet 2.

` INVENTOR BYIMA,

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 4, 19:.6'-v

UNITED srAjlE PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA otto w. simens, Indianapolis,

Universal Camera Corporation,

Ind., assignor to New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 7, 193s, sexismo.' 659,912

21 claims. (C1. 24a-'11) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in photographic cameras, and particularly cameras of the back loading type.

Itis the object of the present invention to pro- -vide an inexpensive camera, simple to construct,

assemble and operate.

With these obj ects in view I provide certain new y and useful improvements in the shutter mechanism, the construction of the camera casing, the I mounting of the shutter mechanism on the camera casing, the nlm spool and take-up mechanism and other features, the nature of which will more clearly appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of my camera and the appended claims.

' In the drawings, Fig. l is a perspective view of the assembled camera; Y

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section; Fig. 3 is a front View with the shutter cover removed showing the shutter mechanism in one extreme position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the shutter in another extreme position;

5 is a perspective view showing parts of the shutter mechanism and the front end ofthe carriera disassembled;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the camera back; Fig. 7 is a rear view of the assembled camera.

withy the back removed; y Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view along lines 8-8 of Fig. '1;

Figs. 9J 10 and 11 are rear and side elevations and a perspective view, respectively, of the nlm spool-take-up mechanism; Y

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the iilm spool; FigLlSjsanend view of. the spool head; and 1 Y Fig. 14 a cross-section along lines I 4-I4 of Fig. 13.

I is a casing for the camera preferably made 40 oi.' any suitable molding composition. One end ofths casingI is' formed into Vchamberedbody' -portions 2 and 3 for housing the lm spools 4 and- 5, and adapted -to be enclosed by the back cover 6 held on the housing proper by means of any-suitable arrangement. 1 is a colored disc Y of transparent material held within an aperture i Vifthe back. The front wall of the housing I has A molded thveimanlnjgrdly projecting rinY I3 within which the lens I4 is held by means of a washer -I5 back of anaperture IG-.imthe front wall of the housing.. 'j "n Above and below the aperture I6 two pinsare molded in tle'casing serving as the pivot points of the shutter and shutte operating lever, respectively. The upper pin Vhas a relatively wide ing spring and light baille 24a.

' vided with notches vaho'olred end 21 of a spring ineansof a.ferrulel/proiecting-from/thingde base I1 and a top extensionV I8 of narrower diameter. The lower pin has also a wider base I9 and a narrower top 20, both however are of larger diameters than the corresponding'parts of the top pin and they are perforated as indicated at 5 2|.` The shutter mechanism proper which is mounted on these two pins consists of a shutter 22, operating lever 23a, and a combination bridg- 'Ihe part 24 blocks the passage of light to the *film except through 10 apertures 35, 24 and I6.

The shutter is provided with a hole 23 near its center which ts over the base I1 of the upper pin, which acts as the fulcrum of the shutter and it is provided with a wide aperture 24 near one 15 -end cooperating with the aperture I 6 in the front end of the casing. The upper end of the shutter l is bent back at right angles into an arm 25 proa' 26 adapted to be'engaged by e 28. The other end 20 of the spring is hooked around a rivet 29 in the free end of the operating lever 23. The lower. end of the lever 23 terminates in an arm 30, one end of which is shaped into a hub 3l which lits over and is adapted to be rotated around the wide 25 base I9 of the lower pin, and the other end of which forms a handle 32 lying within a recess 33 of the front end of casing I. The central portionVVV of the lever 23 is raised withgrespect/t'o'the arm 30fso as to clear the shutter 22. The upper end 30 of a' spring bridge piece 24 is perforated at 33 to fit over the pin |08 and the lower end is periorated at 34 'to t overthe pin 20. The bridge spring and the light baille 24 has a central perforation 35 in yalignrrient with the aperture hole 35 I6 and is so bent that its upper end around'the perforation 33 acts as a spring clip nbearing on: the shutter 22 when the lower end of the bridge 2l is pressed against the pper surface of hase I9. The bridge 24 is thus held under tension by 40 ofthe shutter or front cover I2. The shutter cover is seated on the edge of the front wall of the housing'and is held in position by means of a rivet 31 projecting through rule 3B, the hole2l, throughthe'pins I9 and 28,

' and through a downwardly projecting arm 33n of the washer I5. It will beseen, therefore, that Athe single rivet 31 serves to hold in assembled position -the shutter mechanism, shutter or front 50 cover, housing, lens and inder wire. The cover V*Ibisapertured at 38 in alignment with the lens.

At thto'p o; the housing front wall two stops 38 'and 40 are molded which act to limit the extreme positions of the shutterr22'. With the shut- 55 the center ofthe fer- Y45VV Y Cil ter in the position shown in Fig. 3, upon pulling down the handle 32, the lever 23, through the agency of the spring 28, will flip the shutter 22 from the position shown in Fig. 3 into the position shown in Fig. 4. The film is exposed while the aperture 24 in the shutter passes in front of the aperture I6 and the lens I4. 'I'he cover I2 prevents the radiation of light otherwise than through the aperture 38. The next exposure is made by moving the handle 32 upward from the position shown in Fig. 4 into the position shown in Fig. 3.

'Ihe tllm is fed from spool 5 onto spool 4. The lm spools are held in position by means of springs 50 and 5| riveted to the chambered body portions 2 and 3 at 52 and 53. The springs 50 and 5I are tensioned to press against the nlm spools when they are half full, whereby when more than half the supply has been fed from the lower spool 5 onto the upper spool 4, the spring 56 is relieved of tension and the spring 5I is placed under tension. One head 54 of the upper film spool 4 is provided with a wedge-shaped groove having diverging sides. The bottom of the groove is sloping with respect to the horizontal axis of the spool, as clearly indicated in Fig. 14. Within this groove 55 ts a tapered key clearly shown in Figs. 9 to 11. The key consists of sheet metal bent to form a wedge-shaped top 56 and wedge-shaped depending flanges 51 and 58 adapted to engage the diverging sides of the groove 55, the edges of said flanges contacting said bottom. The taper of flanges 51 and 58 is substantially equal to the taper of the groove bottom 55. The key may be turned by means of a shaft 59 suitably held in the top 56, the other end of the shaft forming a unitary part with a metal knob 66 mounted on one side of the chambered body portion 3. The outside circumference of the knob is knurled and its inside surface has ratchet teeth cut in it, as indicated at 6I. The toothed portion 6I is engaged by the free end 62 of a ratchet spring fitted on two projections 63 and 64 provided on the body portion 3. As it will be clear from Fig. 8 this construction permits the use of a single suitably bent flat spring 62 as a ratchet.

Owing to the engagement between ratchet spring 62 and the serrated hub 6I, the knob 60 may be turned only in therdirection of the arrow, and when so turned will rotate spool 4 through the agency of key 56 to. draw film from the lower spool 5 to the upper spool 4 over the edges 65 of the housing I, the clearancelbet@ the back cover 6 andthe rear 'edges 65 of the housing vl being just suflicient to permit the passage of the film. The extent to which the film has been advanced may be observed through the colored celluloid or glass'disc 1 in the peephole.

'I'he diverging flanges 51 and 58 engaging the diverging'sides of the groove Y55'permit the upperspool- 4 to be withdrawn in a number of posi-- tions of the key 56. Thus the key 56 may be in any position between the position where the flange 51 is horizontal, looking at Fig. 7 of the drawings, and that where the flange 58 is horizontal, looking at Fig. 7. Between such positions the spool Y 4 may be readily withdrawn by merely drawing the spool rearwardly in a direction perpendicular to the rear plane of the camera, the grooved n f head 54 being enabled to move away from the. We front 0f the coverkey 56 in any of the intermediate positions of said key. Due to the slope of the edgesV of said ilanges as soon as the spool is moved away from the key, the head 54 moves out .of contact with respect to said edges. In fact, if the key 56 is in any position between the limiting positions and with either the flange 51 or the flange 58 inclined to the rear plane of the camera, looking at Fig. 7 of the drawings, the grooved head 54 will move entirely out of contact withrespect to the key as soon as the spool is moved a slight distance. It is only when either the flange 51 or 58 is in its limiting position which permits removal of the spool, that one side surface of the groove 55 will have sliding contact with one of the flanges as the spool is removed. 'If the groove 55 had parallel walls instead of diverging walls, the spool could not be removed except when the key is in such position that the groove is horizontal, or perpendicular to the rear plane of the casing and slight rotation of the key from such position would prevent removal of the spool.

The heads 54 and 66 of the lm spools are seated on the tapered rims 61 provided in the back cover 6 and corresponding tapered rims 66 in the chambered body portions 2 and 3, the back cover 6 having chambered body portions corresponding to the chambered body portions 2 and 3 on the 'casing I and forming therewith housings for the two spools. The back member 6 is formed at the top end thereof with a central upwardly projecting flat wall 8 having a rectangular opening 10 forming a sight. Cooperating with the sight opening 'I0 is a finder 9 preferably made of a single piece of wire and comprising a pair of parallel vertical portions 1I interconnected at the top by a horizontal portion 12. Extending outwardly from the bottom ends of the portions 1I are portions 13 contacting the top of the camera casing. Extending downwardly from the outer ends of the portion 13 are portions 14 contacting the outer surface of the side wall of the camera. The portions 14 are of relatively small length and extending from the bottom ends thereof are forwardly extending portions 15 contacting the sides of the camera. Extending from the forward ends of the portion 15 are inwardly projecting aligned ends I0. The front face of the front wall of of the camera may be formed adjacent the top end thereof and at the opposite sides thereof with horizontally aligned grooves II for receiving the inwardly projecting end portions I0 of the finder. The side walls of the camera may likewise be formed with grooves 16 for receiving the portions I5 of the nder. 'I'he por` tions I0 of the nder 9 are received between the front wall of the casing and the cover I2. When the cover is attached to the camera casing the mndegis held in position.

to the object to be photographed. When` the" camera is not in use the finder/5 may'beswung to the position /shownin'lig 1 of the drawings, contacting withthe/portions 1I, 12, 13 and Il cover I2 is preferably formed with a raised portion 'I1 at the bottom and sides short of the top of the cover forming shoulders or ledges adjacent which lie the portions 12, 1I and 13 of the finder. Thus when the camera is notinusethe nderiswithintherecessedpart The front face of the of the front cover l2 andilush with the raised portion 11. The cover member l2 may furthermore be formed at the side surfaces thereof and adjacent the top side edges thereof with horizontal grooves 19 -for receiving the portions 15 of the finder when the finder is in the dotted line position shown in Fig. l of the drawings. Obviously the portions 15 of the iinder press against the sides of the camera casing in either theposition for use or in folded position for retaining the finder against accidental movement.

What I claim is: l 3

1. In a camera, a casing having an aperture, a iilm in cooperative relation with said aperture, a spool on which the film is wound, a head for said spool having a wedge-shaped groovethe i bottom of which is sloping with respect to the horizontal axis of the spool, a knob, and means voperated by said knob projecting in the'groove ofrsaid spool head.

2. In a camera, a casing having an aperture, a film in cooperative relation with said aperture, a spool on which the film is wound, a head for said spool having a wedge-shaped groove the bottom of which is sloping with respect to the horizontal axis of the spool, a wedge-shaped key c0- operating with' said groove, a knob for turning said key, and means for preventing rotation of said knob in one direction.

3. In a camera, a casing having an. aperture, a lm in cooperative relation with said aperture, a spool on which the lm is wound, la head for said spool having a wedge-shaped groove the bottonr of which is sloping with respect to the horizontal axis of the spool, a wedge-shaped key cooperating with said groove having sides sloping at .substantially the same angle as the bottom of said groove in the spool head, a knob -for turning said key, and a spring ratchet engaging said knob.

4. In a camera, a casing formed with a c hamber, a fllm spool rotatable within said chamber, one end of said s pool having a head formed with a transverse groove having longitudinally diverging sides, a knob mounted on said casing, and a key operated by said knob projecting into said groove.

5. In a camera, a casing formed with a chamber, a lm spool rotatable within said chamber, one end of said spool being provided with a head formed with a groove having diverging sides, a knob mounted on said casing, and a key operated by said knob projecting into said groove, the bottom of said groove being inclined to the axis of said spool.

6 In a camera, a casing having a chamber, a film spool rotatably mounted within said chamber, said spool having a head at one end formed with a groove, a bottom of said groove being in a plane inclined to rotatably mounted on said casing and akey operated by said knob and projecting into said groove.

'7. A fllm spool for a camera having a head at one end formed with a transverse groove havingl one end formed with a groove, the bottom of said groove being in a plane inclinedto the axis of said spool.

the axis of said spool, a knob Y 10.l In a camera, a casing, a. illm spool rotatably mounted therein and having a head at one end formed with a transverse groove, the bottom of said groove being in a'plane transverse of and inclined to the axis of said spool and the sides of said groove diverging with respect to one another, and a key received within said groove made of sheet metal and having diverging flanges contacting the diverging vsides of said groove, said `flanges being interconnected by a wall and the outer edges of said anges being inclined and contacting the bottom of said groove.

11. In a camera, a casing, a film spool rotatably mounted therein and having a' head at one end formed with a transverse groove, the bottom of said groove being 'in a plane transverse of and inclined to the axis of said spool and the sides of said groove diverging with respect to one antacting the diverging sides of .said groove, said flanges` being interconnected by a wall and the outer edges of said flanges being inclined and contacting the bottom of said groove, said wall being formed with a non-circular opening, and a knob rotatably mounted on said casing and having a non-circulan portion engaging within said opening.

l2. In a camera, a casing, a iilm spool rotatably mounted therein and having a head at one end formed with a transverse groove, the bottom'of said groove being in a plane transverse of and inclined to the axis of said spool and the sides of said groove diverging with respect to one another,

being interconnected by a wall and the outer y edges of said flanges being inclined and contacting the bottom of said groove, said wall being formed with anon-circular opening, a knob rol tatably mounted on said casing and having a non-circular portion engaging within said opening, said knob being formed with ratchet teeth, and a spring mounted on said casing and cooperating with said ratchet teeth to permit rotation of said knob in one direction only.

13. In a camera, a casing, a fllm spool rotatably mounted therein, a knob rotatably mounted on said casing and formed with a circular flange, the inner surface of said flange being formed with ratchet teeth, and a spring mounted on said casing and received within said circular'flange Iand engaging said ratchet teeth, and means on said knob for engaging said spool.

14. In a camera, a casing, a film spool rotatably mounted therein and having a head at one end formed with a groove, a key received within said groove made of sheet metal and having flanges contacting the sides of said groove, said iianges being interconnected by a wall, said wall being formed with a non-circular opening, and a knob rotatably mounted on said casing and having a non-circular portion engaging within said opening.

15. In a camera, a casing, a film spool rotatably mounted therein and having a head at one end formed with a groove, a key received within said groove made of sheet metal and having flanges contacting the sides of said groove, .said anges being interconnected by a wall, said wall being formed with a non-circular opening, and a knob rotatably mounted on said casing and having a non-circular portion engaging within said opening, and. means for permitting rotation of said knob in one d irection and preventing rotation of said knob in the opposite direction.

16. In a camera, a casing, a film spool rotatably mounted therein, a member rotatably and nonslidably mounted on d casing and having a handle portion on the exterior of said casing, vand a key on the interior of said casing, said lm spool having a head at one end provided with a groove receiving said key, said groove having diverging sides and said key likewise having diverging sides contacting the sides of said groove.

17. In a camera, a casing, a film spool rotatably mounted therein, a member rotatably and nonslidably mounted on said casing and having a.

handle portion on the exterior of said casing a key on the interior of said casing, said lm spool having a head at one end provided with a groove receiving said key, said groove having diverging sides and said key likewise having diverging sides contacting the sides olfY said groove, and the bottom surface of said groove being in a plane inclined to the axis of said spool and said key having a portion contacting said bottom surface.

18. In a camera, a casing having a chamber, a iilm spool within said chamber, having a head at one end formed with a transverse groove having longitudinally diverging sides, and a key on said casing projecting into said groove and having diverging sides engaging the diverging sides of said groove.

19. A camera comprising casing means forming a spool receiving chamber, a winding knob rotatably mounted on and accessible from the exterior of said casing means, said knob including an annular part having teeth formed on its inner periphery, and a spring pawl mounted on said casing means within said annular part and having an end engaging said teeth to prevent rotation of said knob, in one direction.

` 20. A camera comprising a casing; a iilm spool winding knob rotatably mounted on said casing, said knob including an annular part having teeth formed pn its inner periphery, two lugs projecting from said casing into the space within .said annular part, and a resilient strip of metal having one end partially encircling one of said lugs to be held in place thereby and its other end engaging said teeth to prevent rotation of said knob in one direction, said strip having intermediate its ends an angularly bent part lying against the other of ,said lugs and held thereby against displacement in one direction.

21. A camera comprising a casing open at the rear, a rear cover for said casing, said casing and cover forming lm spool receiving chambers and including non-removable portions for supporting lm spools, film spools rotatably mounted within said chambers, said casing having at the rear edge thereof an ear formed with a bearing opening, and a member rotatably and non-slidably xcd within said bearing opening and being non-removable with respect to said casing and having a key removably engaging one of said spools for turning'the same.

o'I'ro W. GI'I'TmNs. 

